After Hours
by AgentNote
Summary: Kurt finds Santana wallowing in the auditorium one day after Cheerios practice. Turns out she's got a lot more secrets than she lets anyone realize. Kurt/Santana friendship. Rated T for language. Please review!


**A/N: So I know I posted a story earlier today, but I couldn't help writing this one-shot! Please review thanks for reading!**

**Rating: T for language.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Glee, you know the drill. Also, this is unbeta'd so any and all mistakes are my own.**

**Spoilers: Lots. Mostly season two, maybe a couple from season 1.**

**Note: I am currently taking any suggestions for fics. If you have anything you want to read, let me know and I'll be happy to give it a whirl. I've been wanting to get back to writing so I'd gladly take ideas. I write for the Glee and Criminal Minds fandoms and though I'm more comfortable with femslash (Brittana = OTP after all), I will write anything! Er...maybe nothing too 'M' rated, but yeah, basically anything! **

**Note: Please check out my new forum, The Glee Prompt Forum, which you can find on my profile. Currently there is one challenge up. Check it out! You might have fun!**

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><p>Walking down the empty, deserted halls of McKinley High, all that can be heard is the faint click of polished, black dress shoes. Looking up from the floor, all you can see are skinny jeans and, going higher, a formfitting white, cotton t-shirt. Over the shirt sits a snug vest, designed with brown and green plaid. Atop a head of neatly trimmed brown hair is a top hat, large and black and with a rose sitting at the brim.<p>

Kurt Hummel does not usually stay at school this late. However, he had to stay after a bit longer than usual to practice a duet with his boyfriend Blaine, who had recently transferred to McKinley and, obviously, joined the New Directions. They were working on the hit from the musical "Promises, Promises": "You'll Think of Someone".

Ever since Kurt transferred back to McKinley, he's been happier than ever. Turns out Dave and Santana started an anti-bullying campaign and as such, the worse damage that's happened to Kurt was when Finn ruffled his hair, promptly messing it all up, his perfectly gelled back hairs turning into a sticky mess.

_Ironi_c. Kurt often thinks to himself. _The reason the bullying stopped was because the meanest bully and top bitch of the school created an anti-bullying program. Well aren't they the two biggest closet gays I've ever seen._

As Kurt's heading to the parking lot, he passes the auditorium. He hears the soft tinkle of the piano and a faraway voice. He pauses in his step, confused on why someone would be in the auditorium at this late of an hour. The only people who should be here now are janitors. Even Mr. Schue went home, giving Kurt and Blaine the keys to lock up with. The only thing that could possibly allow for students to be in the school is the late night Cheerios practices. Coach Sylvester often ended them late, but usually by now everyone was gone. No Cheerio ever wanted to stay later than they had to when they had Sue Sylvester as a coach.

Curiosity getting the best of him, Kurt slowly opens the auditorium doors. All the lights are off except for the music stand light sitting atop the piano. Unable to make out the face of the player, he quietly shuts the door and tiptoes down the aisles. Luckily for him, a majority of his high school experience has been spent in this auditorium, and so he knew his way around even in the dark. Coming to the edge of the stage, he looks upward at the looming figure sitting on the piano bench. He immediately recognizes the song as "Jar of Hearts", the familiar chord progressions sounding in his ears. The voice that's singing it is raspy and raw, the voice of someone who's clearly been crying. Straining his ears and eyes, he sees black hair and hears a low timbre.

He knows that voice. Kurt's mouth drops open the slightest of bits as he realizes who he is looking at and that that person was—is crying.

Moving towards the stairs of the stage, Kurt climbs them carefully. Though he knows his way around by heart, he thinks that some jock could have played a prank and put something on the stairs. Fortunately for him, no such prank was played. Kurt moves swiftly across the stage, feeling a slight shudder run through his body. He's never been here when it's nearly pitch black; it's a little eerie. Nearing the piano, he contemplates how to address the normally fiery Cheerio. He's never seen her so…well, depressed. The only time he ever even heard about her showing a semi-soft side of herself was when he was back at Dalton. Rachel had told him that Santana and Brittany, with the help of Miss Holliday, sang a rendition of "Landslide". Rachel had said that Santana was clearly dealing with much more than she portrays, but she just couldn't figure out what exactly it was.

Slowly inching closer, Kurt taps Santana's shoulder. She jumps, startled, and spins herself around on the wooden piano bench, almost falling off.

"Sorry!" Kurt yells, nearly as surprised as her.

"What the hell, Ladyface?" Santana yells exasperatedly.

Kurt goes to respond, but simply gives Santana a "did you really just call me that" face.

The Latina sighs, shrinking back into the bench.

"Sorry," she starts, "I've been spending way too much time with Coach Sylvester."

"I'll say," he mutters.

A moment of silence passes between the two. Santana sits awkwardly, while Kurt continues to shift the weight of his feet. He wonders briefly why he even came into the auditorium in the first place, but then remembers. He always had a feeling something was going on with Santana and Brittany. To him, it was obvious since they joined the glee club. All the pinky holding, the softer voice Santana always used when talking to her best friend, the protective role the Latina always used around the blonde; it was all written there, blatant to Kurt.

_Then again_, Kurt thinks, _I _do_ have better gaydar than most at this school_.

When Rachel had called up Kurt to talk about the "Landslide" performance, he had a hunch that the two might be battling with figuring out who they are. The hunch was later confirmed when Rachel told Kurt of her Sapphic charm comment and, in turn, Santana's defensive attitude, stating something about no labels.

"Why are you even here…Kurt," Santana asks, defeated, trying her best to be kind and call Kurt by his given name instead of some crude nickname.

"I heard someone singing and playing the piano. I was on my way out but remembered Cheerios practices sometimes run late. I figured it was either you or Quinn, not that Brittany isn't smart enough to get into the auditorium herself or anything…" He shrugs and lets the comment slide, testing Santana's defense mode.

"Hey! You better take that back; Brittany is one of the smartest people I know. People don't give her enough credit." Kurt sense that she's trying to be aggressive, but all that comes out is a meek attempt at protection.

"Huh, just as I though," the boy murmurs to himself.

"What was that?" Santana snaps.

"Nothing, nothing." Kurt smiles to himself, please that he figured out the enigma all on his own. "So, why are you here so late? I've always assumed that the Cheerios want to get _away_ from McKinley in fear of Sylvester, not stay _inside_ of it."

Santana snorts in response.

"What would you know? You were a Cheerio for, what? A week? Two? That hardly counts as anything in Coach Sylvester's book."

"I'm just saying. It was just an observation."

Santana huffs and turns back towards the piano, gliding her hands across the keys gently enough that they don't press down.

"That was a very nice version of "Jar of Hearts" you were singing," Kurt says, breaking yet another silence. "I love the song; I've always wanted to sing it, but the vocals are too low for me in some parts."

"Yeah, because you're capital 'G' gay," Santana spits, immediately throwing her hand over her mouth. "Kurt…I'm…I'm so sorry. I didn't mean that…I'm just. I'm just really pissed off about stuff."

Kurt absorbs this new information. He guesses it has something to do with Brittany, but he refrains from saying anything. "It's fine Santana. You've insulted me in the past, why wouldn't you start right up again now that I've transferred back?"

Santana sighs, visibly frustrated. "I didn't mean it though, really. Believe it or not, I'm trying to be a better person, at least the glee club. You know, I'm not one hundred percent bitch. I _do_ have a nice side. Ask Brittany."

She cringes right after saying Brittany's name and Kurt decides it's time to breech the subject.

"Santana," he starts, "is your bad mood in any way whatsoever have to do anything with Brittany?"

Santana stays silent, perhaps to deliberate whether she should open up to the boy in front of her. Kurt silently prays she does. They've gotten so much closer over the past year, even though Kurt left for a part of it. The whole glee club has gotten so much more attached and family-like, and Kurt just hopes Santana realizes she can talk to him.

"Maybe," Santana finally answers, wringing her hands together.

_Wow_. Kurt thinks. _It worked. She's actually talking to me._

"What about her?"

"I think…I mean…she's just…" she sighs, taking in a deep breathe and exhaling. "I think I'm a lesbian Kurt. I think I'm gay."

_Double wow. I was definitely not expecting _that_. _

"I see…are you sure?"

Santana looks up, an unreadable emotion shining in her eyes. "Yeah, Kurt, I'm sure."

Baffled once again by the use of his name, he continues, happy on the inside that he's making any sort of progress at all with the Latina. "I always had an inkling," he says guiltily. "Though I'll admit, I thought you were bi."

Kurt watches as Santana ponders this, mulling it over in her brain. "I guess I can see why you'd think that. I _am_known for sleeping around. And I will say this, I've slept with almost everyone in this school. But a lot of it was to keep up my reputation."

"Is that the only reason?"

Santana sighs and pinches between the bridge of her nose. "No. I think I was…I _know_ I was trying to deny who I am. I was just so scared, Kurt." In a whisper, she adds, "I _am_scared."

Kurt sits down next to Santana on the piano bench and embraces her in an awkward yet tight hug.

"You have nothing to be scared of, Santana. Trust me. Sure, there'll be some comments and insults. Name-calling especially," he adds seriously, and Santana looks down, guilty and red-faced in embarrassment. "But it's nothing you can't handle. You're the top bitch at this school. No matter who you fall in love with, people are always going to fear you."

Santana sits still, clearly shocked. She pulls out of the hug and eyes Kurt suspiciously.

"What's your angle here?"

Kurt gives her a confused look.

"Why are you being so nice to me? All I've ever done is be mean to you, encourage Puck's actions of throwing you in dumpsters, and put jelly in your conditioner bottle."

"I—wait. That was you? How did you even get into the boys' locker room?"

Santana smiles sheepishly. "I, uh, I may have bribed Puck to sneak me in."

"Of course," Kurt mutters under his breathe.

"So what are you trying to do Kurt? Are you going to get some revenge on me or something? I mean, I wouldn't blame you. I've been such a bitch to you. I've been such a bitch to everyone. I took Finn's virginity when Rachel wanted him, I fought Quinn for a guy I didn't even want, I've played tons of pranks on you, Mercedes, Tina, Rachel and..._him_…and I've slushied almost everyone in glee club. Why are you being so damn nice to me?"

Kurt notices Santana's boiling anger rising. He also catches the fact that she called Artie "_him_" and assumes that he and Brittany are involved again. Rachel told him that shortly after he left for Dalton, the two broke it off but got back together.

"Santana. First of all. I'm being nice to you because I care. Sure you've done some bad things in the past. But that doesn't make you a bad person."

"But I am," she interrupts miserably.

"No, you're not. You're confused. And angry. And upset. And probably a whole bunch of other things that I don't have time to go into right now. But you're not a bad person. I'll admit, until this moment, I wasn't sure about it, but now that I'm having this conversation with you, I'm realizing that you even have feelings." He says it half sarcastic, half true.

"Gee, thanks," Santana replies.

"You know what I mean. So…can I ask you something?"

The Latina shrugs, an indication that he can ask anything he wants because after all, she practically just bared her entire conscience to him.

"Are Artie and Brittany back together?"

Immediately, Santana stiffens and without any verbal answer, Kurt knows they are.

"You mean is Brittany back with that crippled wheeled loser? If so, then yes, she is." Her words are cruel, a real hatred and loss evident in her tone. Kurt flinches, but doesn't show it. He is friends with Artie after all. He knows Santana's upset but Artie isn't a bad person.

"Artie's not a bad guy, Santana, he's just not they guy you want to see with Brittany. Try not to take it out on him. I hate to say this in fear that you'll beat me up, but Brittany chose him, so obviously it's partly her fault, too." Kurt squints his eyes shut, ready for the ultimate beating, but it doesn't come. Instead, Santana starts sobbing harder than before and Kurt engulfs her in yet another hug.

"But it's not her fault at all! It's mine…It-it's all mine. She said she loves me. She said she would be with me. B-but she wouldn't break up with Artie! If I had only told her how I felt when she was still broken up with him, none of this would have ever happened and I'd b-be with her right now!"

"Shhh," Kurt coos, whispering soft nothings into Santana's ears. "It's okay. It's going to be okay."

When Santana's cries have died down to a minimum, she continues.

"And what's worse is I have to deal with this whole gay thing alone. I can't even talk to her anymore without tearing up. I have no one!" She begins to weep again, but Kurt pulls away and grasps her chin firmly in his hands.

"Hey," he says. "Listen to me. You may not have Brittany, but you have me. You have the whole glee club! That's twelve people, er…eleven, if you're really convinced you and Brittany can't talk anymore…that love you and that are willing to talk to you. They'll accept you, Santana, and you know it! You're just afraid to admit it because then you'll be admitting to yourself that you're gay. Well you know what I say? I saw screw it. I mean look at me! Today I wore a dress to calculus and then changed into a suit for chemistry. You have to own who you are, Santana! Don't be afraid to show it!"

The girl digests this new information, opening her mouth every few seconds to respond, though nothing tangible comes out. Finally, she says, "Well despite the fact that I secretly love your outfits, Kurt, I'm not going to go all butch and start wearing plaid and baggy jeans. I needs to keep _some_ of my reputation up."

Kurt is about to respond with an incredulous "that's not my point", but he sees a grin slowly spreading on Santana's face. She playfully punches him in the arm and he feigns injury.

"So do you see my point?" Kurt asks.

Santana nods. "Yeah, I get you. I really do."

"Good." Kurt nods firmly.

A few minutes of silence go by yet again, but this time they aren't filled with awkwardness. Instead, it's two friends sitting in a peaceful environment, thinking about their next moves.

"Kurt."

"Santana."

The two laugh lightly as they begin to speak at the same time.

"Go ahead," Kurt says encouragingly.

"Well, I was just going to say…thank you. I never really would have imagined my Thursday night to be spent talking with you about…this…but it was helpful, and nice, so…thanks."

Kurt smiles, genuinely happy he could be of service.

"You're welcome, Santana. You're very welcome."

Another stillness falls across the auditorium, and the two bask in the peacefulness. Sure they have things to work out. For all he knows, Kurt could be back to being bullied tomorrow, getting slushied in the face by the girl sitting next to him. She could go back to being the cold-hearted bitch everyone sees her as and their whole conversation could be filed away, as if it never happened. But for some reason, Kurt doesn't think Santana will do that to him. He said it himself; the glee club is a family. Everyone loves everyone no matter what. Sure, Quinn's tried to tear Rachel apart a time or two. Sure, Finn tried to tackle Puck to death when he found out he was the father of his girlfriend's child. And yeah, maybe a love triangle or two or three or four or five have been created in the past. But that's what happens in families. You fight. You lose, you win. But you love each other, no matter what.

As Kurt and Santana sit in the quiet, dark auditorium, both know that tomorrow, in some way or another, is going to be a much better day than either of them could have ever thought possible.

**Note: Please please please review and also please please please check out my forum! Okay, peace out everyone!**


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